Our Galleries
Te Puia has two galleries. Ngā Waru Pū Manawa showcases visiting short-term exhibitions. It also tells the story of the famous Te Arawa ancestor Ngatoroirangi and celebrates the lives of Whakarewarewa’s famous guides. Te Whare Tapere combines innovative interactive displays about Māori life and culture with beautiful examples of carving and weaving.
Ngā Waru Pū Manawa
Ngā Waru Pū Manawa Gallery has recently been redeveloped for short-term exhibitions. This gallery allows Te Puia the unique opportunity to partner with other museums and cultural institutions while acknowledging the rich history of our region and the significance of the people of the Whakarewarewa Valley.
Kupe’s Sites
Currently, Kupe Sites, an exhibition developed and toured by the National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Te Papa) is showing in the gallery. Kupe Sites celebrates the great Polynesian voyager’s connections with Aotearoa (New Zealand). Kupe is regarded by many iwi (tribes) as one of the ancestors who discovered this country. This exhibition explores the fascinating stories of Kupe’s voyages and encounters here through names of various landmarks and places including the name ‘Aotearoa’.
Kupe is of immense importance to the many iwi who trace their whakapapa (genealogy) back through him and his stories celebrate a remarkable voyager who settled a new land and charted a route through the Pacific Ocean for later navigators to follow.
Ngatoroirangi
To complement Kupe Sites, Te Puia has developed a section of Ngā Waru Pū Manawa Gallery that looks at the arrival of Te Arawa waka and the subsequent journey of Ngatoroirangi, the tohunga (spiritual expert) aboard the waka. The tradition of Ngatoroirangi maps the geothermal system between Whakaari (White Island) and the mountains of the central plateau, particularly Mount Tongariro.
Wahi maumahara
The final section of Ngā Waru Pū Manawa Gallery is a wahi maumahara (memorial space) This space comprises of images of the Valley’s internationally famous guides including Guide Rangi and Maggie Papakura.
Te Whare Tapere
In earlier times, Whare Tapere were an important part of Māori life. They were places inside the pā (settlement) for Māori to gather and share in song, dance, storytelling and entertainment.
In the Whare Tapere at Te Puia, visitors can enjoy stories and interactive exhibits about marae processes and protocols, weaponry, musical instruments and the importance of the pā in early Māori society. The stories are told through a diverse range of innovative interpretive media including touch screens, motion tracking devices, and multi-user interactives. Contrasting this are beautiful examples of traditional woven and carved arts.
